THE VOICE – LOUD but friendly – came from behind: “Hey, guys – wait up!”
I'm not sure when this was exactly, probably late 2013, shortly after Dan Churchill had appeared on Masterchef and become a familiar face to a lot of people, though not to me.
It was dusk in Sydney, and a workmate and I had just left a bash at the lululemon store on Pitt Street. We were on our way to a taxi rank when we turned to see who owned the voice.
Anyway, it was Churchill, and he was kind of like your kid brother's best mate: a shock of dark, curly hair atop a cherubic dial, and a manner that was boyish and disarming. He introduced himself, pumped our hands as though he were meeting his heroes, and told us he loved Men's Health. He was clutching a copy of his recently self-published book, Dude Food. After coneying his passion for all things nutrition and exercise, he implored us to keep him in mind for any opportunities. And then, with thanks, he receded into the twilight.
“That kid's got spunk,” my colleague said. “He'll go places.”
Almost a decade later, you'd have to say my colleague was right. Now 33, Churchill is ensconsed in New York, where he's the part-owner of a cafe, Charley St, in Lower Manhattan. He's also an A-list performance chef (former clients include the great alpine ski racer Lindsey Vonn), a brand ambassador and television talent (he regularly cooks up a storm on ), an author and entrepreneur – and a podcaster. Clearly, the guy has a certain skill set. But if you had to pinpoint one quality that's seen him thrive, it would be that same chutzpah he flashed on Pitt Street that late afternoon way back when. Churchill wouldn't disagree: “I don't think I'm someone,” he
